The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named `Franor`. Strawberry plants are hardy perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Fragaria, a member of the Rosaceae family.
The new cultivar is the result of a spontaneous mutation occurring on a plant of the parent cultivar `Frel`, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,598. The new cultivar is a naturally occurring sport from Fragaria `Frel`. The Genus is Fragaria, which is a member of the Rosaceae family. Fragaria `Frel`, from which the instant plant originated, is a cross between Potentilla palustris and Fragaria grandiflora. The mutation was discovered by the inventor Walter Bittner in Hamm, Federal Republic of Germany, with the mutative portion of the parent plant being removed from the parent plant, grown and observed. The much brighter red-purple flower color of the mutative portion of the plant was readily observable and led to the discovery.
The instant plant was first asexually reproduced by the inventor in Hamm, Federal Republic of Germany, by taking runners from the initially discovered mutation. This, along with subsequent generations of asexual reproduction, have clearly established that the new cultivar propagates true from generation to generation. The instant cultivar reproduces true to type, generation to generation.
The new cultivar is similar in many respects to the parent cultivar `Frel`. The flower shape, foliage shape and color, and relatively minor production of fruit are similar for both cultivars. The primary difference between `Franor` and `Frel` is in flower color, with the flower petals of `Franor` being a very bright red-purple (RHS 57A), compared to the much lighter, pinkish red-purple flower color of `Frel`. In addition, there are 5 or 6 petals in `Franor` which, when mature, tend to be spaced one from the other. By contract,`Frel` has 6 or 7 petals which often overlap. Also, `Franor` has 2 to 5 fewer stamens and the stamens also tend to be spaced further apart than the stamens of `Frel`.